The dog moved low to the ground, giving a cursory sniff to each package scattered across the cement floor of the outbuilding on the property of Earl Owensby Studio.

The K-9 handler held the leash tight in one fist and cupped his hand briefly in front of each box.

Suddenly, the dog stopped and laid down in front of one of the white parcels, ears perked.

Inside were explosives.

In another building on the Old Boiling Springs Road property, a handler worked with her dog as he searched a room. In one area he found a package of meth, in another, hidden in a brown packing box, a packet of cocaine.

The dogs and their handlers were just two of dozens of law enforcement teams from across the country in Cleveland County this week for the American Canine Police Association spring workshop.

Each spring, the K-9 training event is held in North Carolina.

Mike Lawrence, Cleveland County Sheriff's Office K-9 supervisor, said members of the ACPA voted to hold the event in Cleveland County this year.

Diverse training

The 60-plus teams - which includes the dog and its handler - arrived Monday from law enforcement agencies as far away as Mississippi and Ohio to run their dogs through a variety of training exercises and to become re-certified.

The dogs and law enforcement officers have been staying in AmericInn in Boiling Springs and then scattering through the county during the day for training.

All over Cleveland County - from Flinthill Baptist Church's ballfields to the campus of Gardner-Webb University and Earl Owensby's studio - dogs completed obedience training, tracking, article searches, apprehensions, narcotics searches and more.

Bob Anderson, a master trainer from International Canine College in West Palm Beach, Fla., worked with the dogs completing bomb detection.

He said there are three explosives hidden in the boxes around the room.

The dogs sniff each parcel and then indicate when they find the devices.

Anderson said during the week, the handlers and dogs typically go through two to five days of training and then take the certification test at the end.

With most agencies, dogs are certified on an annual basis.

He said during the course of the training, dogs will work on task-related training and non-tasks.

Tasks are the work the dog typically does on a regular basis, while non-tasks are the things that might only be done occasionally.

Benefits beyond law enforcement

Sheriff Alan Norman said the event is a win-win situation for all involved.

"The sheriff's office is honored to be able to host the K-9 trials for the week," Norman said. "The other thing it also drives home is the economic impact for the businesses in Cleveland County."

He said the dozens of teams will be staying in local motels, eating at local restaurants and spending money in the county.

Norman said there is no cost to taxpayers to have the trials hosted in the county.

"We'll continue to apply in the near future to be a host," he said.

Certifications, skills

Mike Johnson, president of the APCA, said not only does the spring workshop allow dogs to gain their certification, but it also incorporates training and problem solving, giving the handlers and dogs new skills to take home with them.

Dogs are run through various environments and scenarios, mimicking real-life situations.

"The training is basically street scenario training and prepares law enforcement K-9s for what they're going to encounter," Johnson said. "We also incorporate in the certification process training and problem solving."

He said during the week-long event, handlers also take classes.

Attorneys are flying in from Michigan to give legal updates on recent Supreme Court decisions made out of Florida regarding K-9 cases.

"We offer certifications, which almost everybody has to do each year," Johnson said. "Our certifications are good for one year. Most teams come here to certify but also once they get their certification, they focus on training."

He said at any time during the day, 12 different venues are running training events and a master trainer is at each location.

"Cleveland County has done a phenomenal job putting this on," Johnson said. "We just want to thank the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office and the City of Boiling Springs for having us here. We've really enjoyed it."

Reach reporter Rebecca Clark at 704-669-3344 or rclark@shelbystar.com or follow on Twitter @TheStarRebecca.